The Year We Had (MCYT AU)

19: Family Dinner

"Dadddddd." Tommy called across the table. Phil looked over, raising his eyebrows and waiting for the inevitable question that would follow. "Can I dye my hair an unnatural hair colour?"

"No, Tommy." Phil chuckled, and Techno's face twisted into a victorious smirk. He made eye contact with Wilbur and grinned, while the older rolled his eyes.

"Why not?" Tommy asked obnoxiously as Wilbur wordlessly handed Techno ten dollars.

"Thank you." Techno said happily, folding the cash and slipping it carefully into his pocket. Wilbur glared at him, then completely dropped the angry expression and leaned over to explain to Sally what had just happened.

"Because they already know you have blonde hair, Tommy." Phil said patiently.

"Techno, can I make bets with you and Wilbur?" Tubbo piped up, fiddling with the edge of the table cloth.

"I could tell them that I was in a radiation accident or something." Tommy said confidently.

"Tubbo, you are the least obnoxious child I've ever met and for that reason and that reason alone, no. I think I might actually feel guilty for tricking you into giving me your money." Techno said, head tilting slightly to one side as he spoke.

"Tommy, you were not in a radiation accident." Phil deadpanned.

"So, you bet on him a lot?" Sally asked, her voice hushed so as not to disturb everyone else's conversations.

"Oh, yeah." Wilbur nodded. "Believe me, it's easy money. Usually. He's pretty predictable."

Sally's lips tugged up into a roguish smile. "Predictable? Was it predicted that you'd lost ten dollars to Techno?"

Wilbur opened his mouth to answer but couldn't seem to find the words. He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head slightly. "Shut up." Sally laughed her beautiful, warm laugh that made him melt just a little bit, and Tommy wiggled his eyebrows at his brother.

"Deffo flerting." Tommy whispered to Tubbo.

"Deffo flerting." Tubbo nodded dramatically.

"Boys." Phil warned, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow.

"What! What, we're being good, we are saints Phil. Absolute saints. I am offended that you would imply anything else." Tommy defended dramatically.

"I'm so sorry for my gremlin brother." Wilbur shrugged apologetically.

"You really made him out to be so much worse than he is." Sally said with a smile. "I think he has a certain charm."

"Thank you Sally." Tommy said proudly as Wilbur face palmed.

"Oh no, now you've done it. You've given him an ego."

"I don't have one of those." Tommy said pointedly.

The food arrived moments later, and everyone was quick to dig in. The four boys in particular seemed to wolf down their meal.

"What, did they not feed you today?" Phil asked, brow creasing slightly in concern.

"It was burger day for lunch." Tubbo shuddered, shaking his head.

"Not worth the diarrhea." Tommy's nose wrinkled.

"The carrots were edible." Techno allowed, taking a thoughtful bite of pasta. "Though I'm not sure that's an achievement."

"I stole some of Wilbur's pretzels." Tommy shrugged. "It made do."

Wilbur glared across the table at his brother. "Oh, that was you?"

Tommy opened his mouth to answer, thought about it for a moment, and then spoke carefully. "I feel that I've made a serious and continuous lapse in judgement." Wilbur looked ready to strangle him. Tommy let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. "Wilbur! Ma friend! Calm down buddy, don't want to lose it in front of your girlfriend--"

"Tommy she's not my girlfriend, and I'm going to forcefully end your existence."

Sally opened her mouth and then closed it again, her expression shifting slightly. Wilbur noticed and looked over, his anger falling away in an instant. "I'm not? I thought--"
She raised her eyebrows at him, tilting her head and biting back a smile. She was enjoying this more than she should be. Techno decided that he liked her.

"Oh my god. Oh my fucking god." Tommy said, doing his all to keep his laugh in, his eyes bulging out of their socket. Tubbo snorted loudly, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Caught in 4k." Techno smirked, taking a sip of his lemon lime bitters. "Tommy I'm not even mad that I have to pay you for that one."

"I, uh, we--we didn't--" Wilbur stuttered, going very red very quickly as Sally's smile just got wider. "Didn't talk--we didn't talk about it, I didn't want to--?"

"Wil." Sally said, laughing a quiet laugh.

"Yes." He choked out, becoming more flustered by the second.

"Relax. Please. You look like a tomato."

Tommy let out the loudest laugh, collapsing in a heap on the table and shaking as he wheezed. Techno was crying silent tears as his shoulders shook, and Tubbo's head had fallen back as he laughed, his entire body shaking with the effort.

Phil tried really, really hard to keep the smile off his face. Hey, at least nobody got injured this time. All things considered, this was a pretty successful family dinner.

Double update, bc i've finally got the energy to write lmao. let me know what you think!